Page 5 of Liberator (Serpent Sinners MC #2)

Chapter 5

I crawled into bed with a better attitude. Mentally, I knew I was safe. I’d looked out the window and saw exactly how many men were watching over us. Emotionally, I couldn’t shut down my anxiety. I picked up the book I’d borrowed from Jemma and decided I’d finish it tonight. What I’d do tomorrow night while I was sleepless, I had no idea.

Just as I became drowsy, I heard a noise in the hallway. Whoever was out there was walking slowly, stealthily. It sent shivers up my spine. People sneaking around meant trouble. I reminded myself that no one was going to get past the guards, but then my mind asked, “What about the ones already inside. You don’t know anything about most of the men.”

All the Sinners had tats, scars, and wore scowls on their faces. They carried knives, and sometimes they had guns. I was able to tell that they’d all had rough backgrounds. I knew for a fact that they’d killed.

If I screamed, would one of the guards go against another member, or was their loyalty to one another enough to let them ignore what happened to me, an outsider?

The squeak of a door reached my ears, and a loud voice cursed, “Fuck Jackson! You scared the shit out of me. What are you doing up? You’ve got school in a couple of hours. Sweet and Jemma will kill us all if you don’t go.”

Everything inside me relaxed instantly. Rage was back from his extra run. He wasn’t skulking around to attack me. He was just trying not to wake us all up.

“Sorry, bro. I didn’t mean to make you jump. I was heading to the shower. I woke up early because you guys send me to bed at freaking 9:30. I’m too old for that shit,” Jackson replied.

“You better get a handle on your mouth, boy. Your mother and Sweet will be home soon, and I know they get pissed when you curse. Start practicing using better words while you’re in the shower,” Rage hissed.

I opened the door to my room and courageously said, “Maybe, if all of you set a better example for Jackson, he wouldn’t say inappropriate words.”

“Damn it to hell, Vikki! I wish you’d all stop sneaking up on my ass! I didn’t say anything wrong, did I, Jackson?” Rage asked for backup.

“By my count, you said at least six curse words,” Jackson giggled.

“Ah hell, I’m fucking exhausted. I’ll do better after some sleep,” Rage vowed.

Jackson was laughing out loud when I told him, “Go take your shower, and don’t follow Rage’s bad example. I’d hate your mom to get a note from the school the minute she gets back.”

My words didn’t faze Jackson. He continued to laugh all the way to the bathroom.

Rage did look like he was exhausted. His shoulders drooped. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was weaving as if he was ready to fall down. He was sweaty and covered with road dust. I doubted he had the energy to take a shower and wash it all off.

“I’m glad to see you’re back safe,” I told him.

“You look as if you haven’t slept at all while you were gone. Is there anything I can get you that will help, water, whiskey, aspirin?”

“Water and aspirin would be good,” he answered.

“Come in and take a seat before you fall down. I’ll go to the kitchen and get them. You’ll rest better if you’re hydrated and the pain I see in your face is numbed a little,” I said.

He nodded and took a seat on the only chair in the room. I was happy he hadn’t fallen onto my bed. It would have made me uncomfortable, and then there was the chance that he’d have fallen asleep while I was downstairs.

I ran down the steps as fast as I could in order to reach the kitchen before anyone else began stirring. I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt which covered all the essentials, but I didn’t have on a bra. My post pregnancy breasts were larger than what I’d had before, and my nipples were clearly visible beneath the shirt.

In my haste, I’d forgotten to cover up. It was bad enough that Rage saw me this way, but how was I supposed to deal with the fact that a twelve-year-old boy had gotten an eyeful of my boobs? I hoped he hadn’t noticed in the darkness of the hallway.

Rage’s head was hanging down to his chest when I got back, so I decided he wasn’t looking at my chest at all. He was too tired. I woke him up and handed him a glass of water and three aspirin.

“Was it bad?” I asked him.

“It was long and hot, but no one followed me. The cartel didn’t send anyone after me or try to keep me from entering Mexico. Our contacts aren’t happy that we want extra. They asked for more money because they claim they’re having to turn down more profitable deals. I managed to get them to see the error of their ways, if you know what I mean. They’ll have the next shipment ready without trouble when I go back.”

“You didn’t stop to sleep or at least rest, did you?” I confronted him.

“I can’t. I go alone so that I bring less suspicion onto us. That means there’s no one to watch my back while I sleep. I get in and out as fast as I can. That’s the best I can do,” he answered.

“It’s my fault. You have to make these runs because of me,” I stated.

“That’s not true. We asked the mafia for help to retrieve Jackson. We’d owe them a debt whether or not we found you.”

“It shouldn’t all be on your head, though. Can’t someone else do a few runs so you can rest?” I asked.

“They could, but I won’t allow it. I’m the Road Captain. I don’t want to risk anyone else’s life when I’m capable of handling it alone. Besides, the men I meet on the other side trust me. It’s a more dangerous situation when someone else goes. I’ll be fine. I’ll sleep all day and be ready to head back tonight,” Rage said.

“Tonight? No way! You need more rest than that.”

“It’s safer to go again now than it will be later on. I want to get in as many of these runs as I can before the cartel learns about them. Zigzagging through backroads to avoid them will make the runs last longer and get me even less sleep. I might make a mistake and get myself dead if I get soft and wait too long in between runs,” he replied.

I sighed and gave up. “Then, let’s get you to bed. You need as many hours to sleep as possible.”

He didn’t argue about it, not even when he realized I was going with him to keep him on his feet. He fell onto his bed fully clothed and without turning down the bedding.

I promised myself I’d clean up his bed while he was away. For now, I went back to my room and grabbed a blanket that I covered him with.

My hero never knew that I kissed his forehead and prayed for his safety.